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Written by Karen
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Sunday, 23 November 2008 |
Karen shares her musical insights about improvisation in worship.
Ibegan taking violin lessons when I was nine years old. Since then, I have beenfortunate enough to gain experience in various situations and settings, rangingfrom symphonic orchestras to small acoustic sets. But above all, the setting inwhich I most feel God’s pleasure and delight is playing with a group ofworshipers seeking after God, longing to express their love for Him. I enjoythe freedom of playing non-notated music, which provides space for God to move.However, discovering this has been a learning process.
Growingup as a classically-trained musician has enabled me to reach a certain level oftechnical ability. This is obviously the primary foundation of musicalexpression, yet stepping out into improvisation has allowed God to impart Hisheart through the voice of the violin.
Here are a few practical tips for violinists that I’ve picked up alongthe way:
Listen
Listening is the most integral ingredient to any music making, and is evenmore important in worship. Learn to listen to the worship leader, the rest ofthe band and, of course, God. The result will be a tight, balanced band that isavailable to hear what God is saying during the course of a worship set.
Tune
Intonation can make all the difference to the overall sound of theband. Be careful to tune your violin to the other instruments you’re playingwith, and be aware that a change in temperature will more than likely cause achange in the pitch of the strings.
Be Sensitive
Sensitively listening will also enable your playing to compliment therest of the band. Remember that you don’t have to play all the time! Sometimes,less is more! If the guitar is taking the lead riff of the song, leave him toit and adapt your playing to compliment it or… don’t play at all! This appliesequally to the lead vocal -- give it space.
Answer The Melody Line
It’s good to answer the mainmelody line in the gaps when the vocal is silent. Answering the melody linemeans that when a musical phrase is sung by the congregation, in the space thatfollows musically “respond” to the phrase that’s been sung. This is a techniquethat needs to be developed, as it doesn’t always come naturally. Spend timesinging the melodies in your head, listening to CDs and playing along.
Invert The Melody Line
Another useful skill to practice is that of inverting the melody line. In other words, play a counter- melodywhich is the opposite shape to the main melody. If the melody rises, yourcounter-melody could fall and vice versa.
Don’t Overplay
In general, don’t overplay. Never be afraid to not play in a wholesong. Strings aren’t always suitable and that’s okay. It gives us a chance toworship with our voices!
Add To The Whole
On the other hand, the sweet tones and the natural legato sound of theinstrument can add an extra depth to the worship. The violin can certainly bean instrument of lament, allowing people space to pray, intercede or cry. Itcan also be a vehicle for prophetic ministry. This simply means that God getsto do what He wants to do in the space we provide in free worship. Pray formelodies which will impart God’s heart to His Church.
Make Full Use Of The Instrument
The violin can add calmness to a song or uplift a song. Try and takeadvantage of the versatility of the instrument, using the full range whilebeing sensitive to the style and mood of the song.
Keep It Simple
Remember during the worship that you don’t want to distract yourcongregation by playing big, flamboyant scale passages up and down thefingerboard (this is only a slight exaggeration!). Keep it simple -- it’s moreeffective. On occasions I have simply played one or two long, sustained notesin various parts of a song. This can be enough. The focus must be on who we areworshiping, not on what talents He’s given us! Again, sensitivity is key here.
Give Your Best
It’s important to play to the best of your ability so regular practiceis obviously important. This is not always easy, I realize, especially withworship songs. You can’t exactly sit down and practise counter- melodies whenthere are no melodies to begin with! This is when a CD can be handy.
Experiment and remember what works. Equally, enjoy the space of worshipingon your own. The more comfortable you feel with your instrument, the more freedomyou will experience in worship.
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